Bill > HB684

This bill modifies the timeline for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to review water quality data submissions. Specifically, the bill changes the existing requirement that the department review submitted data within 60 days to a new requirement of reviewing data within 180 days from its submission. The bill is part of the state's process for monitoring and assessing water quality, which involves identifying threatened or impaired water bodies and establishing priority rankings for Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development. When a person requests that the DEQ add, remove, or reprioritize a water body on its list, they must provide supporting data, and the department will now have 180 days (instead of the previous 60 days) to review that data. If the department determines the data is credible, it must provide public notice and allow a 60-day comment period before taking action. The change gives the DEQ more time to thoroughly assess data submissions while maintaining the public's ability to participate in the water quality assessment process. The bill does not fundamentally alter the broader water quality assessment framework but provides the department with additional flexibility in its review process.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2395